SWR staff suspended over RMT strike ‘bullying’ claim
SOUTH Western Railway is investigating claims of bullying, harassment and intimidation of guards who chose to work during strike action on November 8/9.
Two members of staff based at Bournemouth were suspended. An employee recorded a heated conversation in the station mess room. And hostile comments were posted on social media (some were subsequently deleted).
One person connected with the incident told RAIL: “A few guards who went to work are being threatened, bullied and ignored by those who went on strike. Some of those who worked could not afford to lose pay. Some did not believe the reasons for striking were valid.
“It’s seriously affecting one guard’s health, and others are considering resigning. It’s stressful in the mess room and at changeover times. Obviously, it’s not a good thing because of the safety issues.”
Although guards in the RMT union voted heavily in favour of industrial action, South Western Railway said that one in five guards rostered to work on strike days had chosen to do so.
In a statement, it confirmed it was investigating the complaints: “We respect the right of RMT members to take strike action. But, equally, we expect those who strike to respect other people’s right to work, and we are fully supporting those who choose to do so.”
An RMT member told RAIL: “It’s just the usual friction. Most people just choose not to speak to or help the people who worked during the strike. There are still drivers to this day who are shunned, as they chose to work during a drivers’ strike in 1993. The railway has a long memory.”
At the time of the strike ballot in August, 79 RMT guards were based at Bournemouth.
The RMT argues that every train should carry a second member of staff at all times. The union opposes the possibility of some Driver Only Operation, without guards, on new trains due for delivery from 2019.
SWR said it would guarantee to roster a second crew member on every service. Managing Director Andy Mellors had previously told RAIL that under specific exceptional circumstances, and as a last resort, it might need to run trains with only a driver ( RAIL 840).
Ninety new Bombardier trains will run on suburban services in London and to Reading and Windsor. The new trains are not expected ever to run to Bournemouth or to Portsmouth, and the electric trains cannot operate on the diesel route via Salisbury to Exeter. All services on those longer-distance routes, using Class 158, ‘159’, ‘444’ and ‘450’ stock, can only be operated with a guard. Therefore, no staff at the Bournemouth, Portsmouth or Salisbury depots will be directly affected by any changes which may be proposed.
In a statement, the RMT said it was “aware of an internal grievance at the SWR Bournemouth depot which is currently subject to the normal and agreed processes and procedures. It is wholly inappropriate to comment on the case.”
The strike in November was the first on the SWR routes for more than 20 years, and therefore the first strike in the working lives of most people involved.